Group Bookings

West Somerset Railway Group Bookings give our passengers discounted train fares, seat reservations, reservation notices and the option to have catering from our special menu. Pre-booked Groups of 16 passengers and above enjoy discounted travel on the West Somerset Railway.

Please call us on 01643 700398 (Monday - Friday 9am - 4.00pm) or email groups@wsrail.net. We will check availability, and answer any questions you have asked us about dates, timings, prices and catering and get you booked in.

We do not accept Group Bookings during special events (purple dates)
such as "Day Out With Thomas” or our Steam and Diesel Galas. On Special
Event Days and Galas ticket prices are slightly more. If you do wish
to travel on these days we can sell you tickets at the special event
advance rate but cannot offer seat reservations or Group Catering other
than buying food from the on train Buffet Car. We will require full payment for these tickets at the time of booking.

Group Travel Pack

We have a printed Group Travel Pack which can be sent to you or alternatively you can download it here

School Visits

Why not bring your school, cubs, brownie group to the West Somerset Railway for a scenic trip back through time on a heritage steam train through Somerset's glorious countryside?
We can offer station tours, museum tours and talks including a hands on visit to the museum at Bishops Lydeard Station, where you can work the signals yourself!

You can combine your World War 2 Educational course with an evacuation trip on the West Somerset Railway! We can provide you with an educational work booklet relating to evacuees. A fun activity before your visit is to make a gas mask box in class so that students can dress up like an evacuee on the day. Please contact us for further information.

We also welcome ideas from you to show us how we can fit in to today’s national curriculum.

Fares & How to Book

School groups travel at our Group Rates with teachers travelling at child rate. Please contact our Groups Department on 01643 700398 or email groups@wsrail.net for fares and information.

Before you visit

The West Somerset Railway has public liability insurance in place and can provide you with proof of this if required.

It is your responsibility to produce a full Risk Assessment for your visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all children are accompanied and fully supervised during their visit to the West Somerset Railway.

General Information

We have a maximum capacity of 120 pre-booked Group Travel seats on each train. However we are flexible in our arrangements wherever possible and will gladly add (subject to availability) additional coaches to meet your needs. It does make good sense to call us early as we receive many bookings and the earlier you can confirm your date of choice we can book you in.

Please allow 30 minutes prior your departure time so that you can complete any paperwork at the Booking Office and get aboard in a relaxed manner, ahead of a quiet enjoyable journey through 20 miles of beautiful Somerset countryside.

Our on-train staff can assist passengers with limited mobility on and off the trains and there is a ramp into the guards van (from which it is possible to walk through the train). There is ramp access to the platform at Bishops Lydeard and level access at Crowcombe Heathfield, Williton, Watchet, Dunster and Minehead.

Things to see and Do

There are other things to see and do in the area which can be combined with you journey on the West Somerset Railway to give you a full and enjoyable day out. Please click here to see our 'What to see and do guide'. You may also find our Station Pages of interest to help you plan where to start and finish your journey.

Deposit and Payment of Balance

We ask for a non-refundable 10% deposit with your initial booking. The balance can be paid on the day of travel at the Booking Office of the Station where you start. We will only charge you for the number of passengers travelling so if your numbers drop on the day of travel this will not be a problem. We will accept payment by cash or cheque and our main booking offices at Bishops Lydeard and Minehead can handle all major credit/debit cards except American Express.

If you have requested catering with your booking, payment in full must be made at least two weeks before you travel. After payment has been made no changes to your catering order can be accepted.

Coach parking. There is a large free car at Bishops Lydeard Station and the coaches set down by the booking office. The new coach park at Minehead is adjacent to the Station and the Beach Hotel. Coaches also continue to set down and pick up at the bus stops outside the station. If you are planning to start or end your journey at any of our other stations please speak to us about access. Apart from Doniford Halt it is possible at all stations but there are varying levels of ease of access.